If you're looking for a entertaining, well-written book on an outsider's journey into English traditional events and music, I'd recommend 'The Magic Spring' by Richard Lewis. (I know I'm the only one banging on about that particular subject but hey, that's the Mudcat way ...)

I'm not sure I'd agree that everyone is berating Paul Merton for not being Jeremy Paxman, or Sid Kipper for not being Martin Carthy. My personal disappointment with Irwin's books was that someone, with such an obvious love and deep understanding and knowledge of Irish and English music, would produce such superficial material when they came to write about the subjects in book form.

A job-swap between Sid Kipper and Jeremy Paxman would be a thing of wonder wouldn't it ...